The largest-ever group of Manx nurses attended the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Congress in Liverpool last month, joining more than 3,000 nursing professionals from across the UK and Crown Dependencies.

Held in mid-May, the RCN Congress is the organisation’s flagship event, featuring keynote speakers, policy debates and professional development sessions.

This year, nine nurses represented the island, taking part in discussions on key issues facing the nursing profession.

Topics debated during the congress included understanding neurodiversity, patient care accountability outside emergency departments, financial support for student nurses, and the suitability of current nursing regulation.

Delegates also attended sessions on subjects such as domestic abuse, health inequalities, suicide prevention, diabetes care, and the experiences of people living with HIV.

Keynote presentations featured speakers from conflict zones, including nurses working in Gaza and Myanmar.

In one session, the RCN shared details of the Phoenix Nursing Programme, which helps train nursing students in Myanmar following the military coup and the closure of formal nursing schools.

Manx delegates described the event as ‘inspiring’, ‘insightful’ and ‘a privilege to attend’, and are now sharing what they learned with colleagues across the island to support continuous improvement in patient care.

Claire Green, secretary of the RCN Isle of Man Branch, received two regional awards during the event - the ‘North West Branch Representative of the Year’ and ‘Campaigns Champion of the Year’.

The north west region represents more than 60,000 nurses.

Sheila Lloyd, executive director for nursing, midwifery and allied health professions, commented: ‘I am so proud of our nurses attending the prestigious RCN Congress, as they have said it is inspiring, educational and enables nurses to have important time out of their service to network and share good practice together.

‘Doing this is great for nurses, and the good practice they learn and share is great for patients.’